A:
There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable
and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You
can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green
Guru's secret identity.

rate this answer

Friday - April 29, 2011

QUESTION:

I would like a list of plant options to plant on an almost vertical creek bank in some location in Charlotte, NC. The creek runs through a 300 acre basin, maybe 3 or 4' high banks and I have never seen the creek out of its banks. Many large trees line the creek and large roots have been undermined along the creek over time and eventually collapse onto the creek. I am looking for some plant material that could be planted on the slopes that would not take over the entire area over time. I am looking for something that is not wild looking as this creek runs through several parks for a large, upscale residential development.

ANSWER:

If the slope is very steep (as you have indicated), you are probably going to need to create some mechanical means to hold any plants or seeds in place until the plants can become established. One possibility is to use some sort of erosion control blanket. The erosion-control fabric works by slowing runoff water and allowing sediments to fall out rather than be washed away. Seeds are sown under the erosion-control material and grow up through the matting when they germinate. You can insert plants into the soil by cutting through the matting. The roots of the plants that are growing through the erosion-control material anchor the soil to stop the erosion. If you use erosion-control blankets made of biodegrable material, they will eventually disappear leaving the plants to control the problem. Erosion control material is available at many nurseries. There is an excellent article, Biotechnical Streambank Protection: the use of plants to stablize streambanks, from the USDA National Agroforestry Center that suggests several other methods. Now to stabilize the area, we recommend grasses for controlling erosion because of their extensive fibrous root systems that serve to hold the soil in place. You can add other perennial herbaceous and woody plants along with the grasses.

Below are some recommended plants native to North Carolina and Mecklenberg County or an adjacent county. Since I don't know the amount of sunlight available or the type of soil for the area in question, you will need to check the GROWING CONDITIONS for each of these plants to be sure that they are compatible with your site.

GRASSES AND GRASS-LIKE:

The grasses and sedges listed below are attractive. Some of them will grow best in full sun, but others will grow in shade and part shade.

More Grasses or Grass-like Questions

Native grass mix suitable for HoustonDecember 10, 2009 - Do you have a native grass mix that is appropriate to the Houston area- or will the one you have developed to this point work as well here as it does in Central Texas? If not, when will you begin to ...view the full question and answer

When and how to mow native grass in TexasFebruary 27, 2010 - We live on a ranch near Kerrville. The grass is sparse KR, purple three-awn and some Texas wintergrass. How and when is the best way and time to mow this native grass?view the full question and answer

Ground cover that won't hide snakes from Asheville NCJune 29, 2012 - I have an unusual situation: several bare areas in an otherwise wooded area, which receive partial sun, and are not near water -- it rains here frequently, but the soil can become quite dry at times.
...view the full question and answer

Ground covers for a shady spot in central TexasFebruary 23, 2016 - I reside in Austin, Texas and need advice on my xeriscaping project. Portions of my front yard have always been a challenge to get grass to grow, so I have xeriscaped that area with Fairland Pink gran...view the full question and answer

Replacing hawthorn bush with muhly grass from Plano TXApril 10, 2014 - I am thinking of replacing a hawthorn bush with a muhly grass plant or two in an edged area with river rock cover in Plano, texas. It is the black soil and not a sandy loam. We have a sprinkler syst...view the full question and answer